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People often ask me about the dietary supplements I take and which ones I give to my children. As a registered dietitian, food comes first with me, and I work hard to eat a balanced diet and encourage my kids do the same. Food packs hundreds of beneficial compounds considered necessary for ener...

If you’re like me, you crave a more balanced life with less to do and more time to relax. Achieving balance in any area of life, including eating, is not always easy, but it is a worthy goal because a balanced lifestyle is the foundation of your good health, and your family’s.
You want better nutrition for yourself and your family, but you may not know how to achieve it. Perhaps you would just like someone else to tell you what to eat. MyPlate, the government’s new symbol for good nutrition, comes very close to doing just that. It’s a visual reminder of what to put on your plate, in your hand, and in your cup at every meal and snack. It is an icon that everyone, including kids, can use to make wiser food choices.
Maybe you didn’t think highly of the food pyramid. To be honest, I didn’t much care for the symbol itself, and thought it nearly useless for meal planning. But MyPlate is different, and deserves attention. Everyone can identify with a plate and a cup. Even better, MyPlate takes a meal-by-meal approach to healthy eating that helps you improve your diet at your very next meal.
Here’s what to put on your plate to reflect MyPlate’s suggestions, which apply to everyone over the age of two. (Younger children need smaller portions.)
• Pile half of it with fruits and vegetables
• Allow a bit more than one-quarter of the plate for grains, preferably whole grains
• Fill the remainder of the plate with lean protein foods, such as meat, poultry, seafood, and beans
• Add a cup of fat-free or low-fat milk and yogurt
Calorie balance is one of MyPlate’s guiding principles, and that’s where portion control comes in. You can’t just pile your plate, or use an oversized dinner plate, you need to eat in a way that fits your personal calorie “budget,” which depends on your age, physical activity level, and gender.
Healthy eating is typically thought of as an all-or-nothing affair, with no middle ground. MyPlate is not a rigid prescription for taking away all the foods you crave, however. Just as there is no single “American” diet, there is no one recommendation for healthful eating.
You don’t have to give up wine, hot dogs, chips, and cookies, or anything else you love in the name of good health. While acknowledging that some foods are better than others, MyPlate does not demand dietary perfection. Instead, it allows for modest portions of high-calorie foods and alcohol beverages daily (as long as it’s safe for you to drink), if you like. To make sure my diet is “balanced,” the MyPlate way, I eat a small portion (less than I would like, of course) of chocolate every day!

People often ask me about the dietary supplements I take and which ones I give to my children. As a registered dietitian, food comes first with me, and I work hard to eat a balanced diet and encourage my kids do the same. Food packs hundreds of beneficial compounds considered necessary for energy and wellness, such as protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber, water, vitamins, and minerals.
That said, nobody eats an exemplary diet every day, including my family. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, they’re no different from the millions of other adults and children that regularly miss out on important vitamins and minerals. Because they are still growing, I want to make sure my children don’t have any dietary gaps for the nutrients they need to develop properly. That’s why they take a daily chewable multivitamin with no more than 100% of the Daily Value for the vitamins and minerals it provides.
As for my husband and myself, I operate on the principle that depending on your health goals, age, and stage of life, you may need more of certain vitamins and minerals than you can get from food alone. That’s why we both take a daily multivitamin.
The multivitamin I take insures that I get enough folic acid and iron I need; these nutrients are identified by the DGA as “nutrients of concern” in women of childbearing age. His pill provides very little iron because a man’s needs are much lower than a woman in her childbearing years, and can, generally speaking, be satisfied with diet.
Vitamin B12 has been flagged by the DGA in adults over the age of 50 because they are not able to absorb as much naturally-occurring vitamin B12 from foods as their younger counterparts. People over the age of 50, like my husband, should get the bulk of their vitamin B12 from dietary supplements or fortified foods.
The entire family takes vitamin D on a daily basis. Vitamin D helps the body absorb and use calcium, but it’s difficult to get the vitamin D you need without dietary supplements. For one thing, few foods provide vitamin D. For another, when you live in the northern part of the country, like we do, you don’t make any vitamin D in response to sunlight for about half the year. While my children drink the recommended three glasses of vitamin D-fortified milk daily, that only amounts to 300 International Units (IU) of vitamin D and the suggested amount is 600 IU daily. A vitamin D supplement fills in the gap between what they get from food and what they should be consuming.
Dietary supplements are just that – supplements – and not substitutes for health eating. For example, they can’t provide the energy, fluid, or fiber you need to support good health. But they are useful for shoring up diets that provide less than the recommended levels for nutrients that affect your well-being, and your family’s.

If you’re like me, you crave a more balanced life with less to do and more time to relax. Achieving balance in any area of life, including eating, is not always easy, but it is a worthy goal because a balanced lifestyle is the foundation of your good health, and your family’s.

‡Vitamins A, C, and E, and Lutein help support healthy eyes. This product is not intended to provide daily intake of Lutein. Take with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

¥B-Vitamins support daily energy needs.*

^Vitamins C and E support normal immune function.*

±B-vitamins aid in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.*

«Lutein and Zeaxanthin to help improve the eyes natural response to glare. Emerging science suggests nutrients such as Lutein and Zeaxanthin help support healthy/normal macular pigment which plays a role in the eye’s ability to respond after exposure to glare/adjustment to changes in light.*

∇Among leading eye multivitamin supplement brands.

^^Refers to Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Vitamins A, C, and E.

µBased on number of nutrients; Among leading Women / Men 50+ multivitamin brands.

»Among leading men’s and women’s gummy multivitamins.

>Biotin, Vitamins A, C, and E help maintain healthy appearance.*

<Vitamins D and B6 help support muscle function.*

♦A combination of Vitamin D and calcium helps maintain strong bones*

•B-Vitamins help support heart health, brain health, energy and metabolism. Vitamins A, C, E and zinc help support normal immune function and healthy eyes. Calcium and vitamin D help support bone health.* Adequate calcium and vitamin D are necessary for bone health. Centrum® MultiGummies® [Men/Adult] and Centrum® VitaMints® do not contain calcium. Take with a calcium-rich diet.

∞Includes 11 nutrients to support whole body health including B-vitamins to support heart health, zinc and B-vitamins to support normal brain function, and Vitamins A, C, and E to support healthy eyes.* Not a replacement for cholesterol-lowering drugs.